Wire strapping tool



y 26, 1966 H. J. GOLDMAN ETAL 3,262,193

WIRE STRAPPING TOOL Filed May 22, 1964 INVENTORS HANsJ. GOL D MAN ROY A. MAHLER ATTY.

United States Patent 3,262,193 WIRE STRAPPTNG TUUL Hans .l. Goldman, Glen Ellyn, and Roy A. Mahler,

Chicago, 111., assignors to Automatic Electric Laboratories, Inc., Northlake, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 22, 1964, Ser. No. 369,490 6 Claims. (Cl. 29-403) This invention relates to devices for strapping wires to terminals, and more particularly, it relates to a tool for strapping wires to terminal blocks as for example exist in telephone switching centers.

Heretofore the tools used in the telephone industry for strapping wires were relatively difficult to maneuver, particularly in a situation where there is little space between adjacent terminals, and at times resulted in termination failure due to fracture or shear of the wire induced by cold working of the wire material. This occurs when there is substantial pressure between the wire and the end of the tool.

We have found that the strapping operation is greatly facilitated both from the standpoint of speed and quality of the termination, by incorporating into the tool a nose that has a curved end and is free to rotate. This enables the wire to leave the end of the tool along an axis virtually coincident with the axis along which the wire lies in its final position. Thus, the wire is not forced against the end of the tool to thereby induce cold working as is the case when the end of the tool is straight and the wire must pass over an abrupt edge.

Therefore the principal object of the invention is to provide a strapping tool which is easily maneuvered about a terminal and which dispenses a wire in a smooth and uniform manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool which is simple in construction. 7

The preferred embodiment features an easily handled slender shank and a tapering nose with a curved free end that freely rotates, and is thus capable of following the contour surface of a terminal. This embodiment also features an end piece that secures the nose to the shank portion so that its longitudinal movement is restricted while its rotational movement is facilitated. Furthermore, it features a tubular shaped extension piece or wire lead tube which is connected to the shank at the end where the wire enters and which aids the movement of the wire so it does not incur undue resistance or obstruction.

These and other features Will be more clearly understood after making a perusal of the following detailed description which refers to the drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view showing a strapping tool according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the strapping tool of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, which disclose an embodiment of the invention consisting of shank 10, end piece 15, cap 20, nose 25, and lead tube 30.

Shank 10 is preferably tubular shaped having an external diameter small enough to enable an operator to handle the tool easily and a passageway 9 which is large enough to prevent restriction of a wire passing through it. The length of the shank approximates the breadth of an operators hand for instance to enable her or him to hold and maneuver the tool.

At one end of the shank is an external thread portion 11, and at the opposite end an internal thread portion 12. Both of these terminate in a shoulder 13 and 14 respectively.

Cap 20 includes a passageway 23 and an internal thread portion 21 which terminates in shoulder 22. The thread portion engages external thread portion 11, and thereby serves as the means whereby the cap is secured to the shank.

Lead tube 30 shown in FIG. 2 is used to lead the wire into the tool and to prevent a wire from rubbing against the edge of the cap with such pressure that cold working of the material results.

To meet these demands the lead tube is preferably constructed of a hard flexible material such as Teflon plastic to facilitate movement and safeguard against the wire cutting into the tube material. The tube can be secured to cap 20 by various means however one way is by using spring 24. The spring can be placed over one end of the tube and positioned between end 18 of external thread portion and shoulder 22.

End piece 15 features an external thread portion 19 and a passageway 17 and supports nose 25 in a manner such that the latter can freely rotate. The external thread portion 19 engages internal thread portion 12 to secure the end piece to the shank 10.

Edge 16 of the end piece comes to rest a distance from shoulder 14 so that peripheral rim 26 of nose 25 can be located therebetween. It should be appreciated that nose 25 can be merely slipped through passageway 17 with the peripheral rim coming to rest against edge 16. It is through this arrangement that longitudinal movement of the nose is restricted.

Nose 25 features in addition to the aforementioned peripheral rim 26, a shank portion 27, and a curved nose portion 28. The shank portion extends through the passageway of the end piece and tapers to the very end of the nose so that a wire passing therethrough can be better controlled and directed.

Made integral with the shank portion and positioned a small distance from end 29 thereof is the aforementioned rim 26. This has two sides or shoulders 35 and 36 with an outer edge therebetween, and serves to restrict lateral movement of the nose while allowing it to rotate when located in the spacing between shoulder 14 and edge 16. It should be realized that by having the peripheral rim away from the end of the shank an extension is provided which projects into passageway 9 to give the nose rotational stability.

The dispensing portion of the nose constitutes the very end of the nose and is curved so that the end of the nose actually projects at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tool. The nose portion extends outside of the end piece 15 with the curve being most pronounced at the extreme end to enable a wire passing through the passageway to be fed out without rubbing hard against the edge 29 and thereby cause cold working. This unique configuration reduces the resistance to the movement of the wire and as a result an operator does not tire as soon.

It should now be fully appreciated that an operator can quickly strap a wire around a terminal with this tool regardless of the shape thereof merely by moving the tool in a circular pattern. The nose follows the contour surface of the terminal always insuring that the edge 29 is at right angles with it and directs the wire along a gradual bend instead of an abrupt angle as is the case where the nose is straight.

As aforementioned the tool distinguishes from the prior art by including a nose which rotates and to facilitate this the surfaces of the nose, passageway 17, edges 14 and 16, and sides 35 and 36 all should be finished to a high lustre as by sand blasting for example so that the nose can freely rotate on the end piece. It should also be appreciated that a lubricant can also be used to further facilitate rotation.

While one embodiment has been described in detail it should be clear that the scope and spirit of the invention is limited only by the appended claims.

means whereby the longitudinal movement of said nose is restricted and the rotational movement thereof facilitated, and said tapering nose portion having a curved free end projecting at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said shank portion to feed the wire parallel and adjacent to the contour surface of the terminal and thereby avoid the introduction of cold What is claimed is:

1. A tool for manually strapping a wire around a terminal comprising:

a shank having two ends and a passageway through which said wire can pass, one of said ends having an internal thread portion and the other end thereof having an external thread portion;

a cap with an aperture through which the wire enters working of the wire.

the tool and an internal thread portion which engages 4. A tool as claimed in claim 3 and furthermore comsaid external thread portion thereby connecting said prising a plastic lead tube connected to said cap for supcap to said shank portion; porting said wire prior to the entering thereof in said an end piece having an aperture aligned with said aperture thereby serving to smooth movement of the passageway and an external thread portion engaging wire through said tool. said internal thread portion of said shank thereby 5. A tool for strapping wire around terminals comfixedly connecting said end piece to said shank prising: portion; a shank having an incoming end and longitudinally opand a nose rotatably connected to said end piece to posite thereto, an outgoing end and having a passagefeed the wire and follow the contour surface of the way extending in and coaxially with said shank from terminal in response to the circular movement of said one to the other of said ends through which passageshank, said nose having a passageway aligned with way said wire can pass; the passageway of said shank portion and two ends and a dispenser portion rotatably connected to the outgoing end of said shank so as to provide a tubular extension of said passageway, said dispenser portion being at its free end curved and projecting at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of said shank, whereby, upon movement of said shank about and parallel to the axis of said terminal, said dispenser of the wire.

2. A tool as claimed in claim 1 and furthermore comprising means connected to said cap to facilitate the passmg movement of said wire toward said cap.

3. A tool for manually strapping wires around a terminal comprising: a shank having an incoming end and longitudinally a shank having two ends and a passageway for the thereto an outgoing end, and having a passageway w to p g one of said n h ving n extending in and coaxially with said shank from one internal thread portion terminating in a shoulder and to the other of said ends through which passageway the other end thereof having an external thread said wire can pass;

portion; an end iece fixedly connected to said outgoing shank a cap with an aperture through which said wire enters end, and having an aperture aligned to said passagethe tool and an internal thread portion which engages 0 way;

said external portion thereby connecting said cap to and a dispenser portion having a nose projecting at an portion rotates on the axis of said shank, with said curved free end pointing inwardly towards and guiding said Wire around said terminal. 6. A tool for strapping a connected wire around a terminal, comprising:

said shank,

an end piece having an aperture extending therethrough and a nose with a passageway therethrough aligned with the first mentioned passageway to feed the wire and follow the contour surface of the terminal in response to the circular movement of the shank, said angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of said shank held rotatably in said aperture by said fixed end piece and providing a tubular end extension of said passageway to said nose whereby, upon movement of said shank about and parallel to the axis of said terminal, said dispenser portion rotates in said aperture, with said nose pointing inwardly towards and guiding said wire around said terminal.

References Cited by the Examiner nose having a shank portion, a tapering nose portion, and a raised peripheral rim with two sides joined by UNITED STATES PATENTS an outside edge, said rim located at an intermediate 1,579,695 1926 Ford 242-7 point along said shank portion thereby providing an 2,585,010 2/1952 Hlckman 6t 140--124 X extension of said shank portion from both of said ggaulileu et al 1405124210);

' f d t 't' th vecy nm Sldes, one o Sal ex enslons projec In m 3,095,640 7/1963 Butterworth et a1. 29203 passageway of said shank to stabilize said nose and the other extending through said end piece aperture, said rim being contained between the shoulder of said shank and said free end thereby serving as the JOHN F. CAMPBELL, Primary Examiner.

THOMAS H. EAGER, Examiner. 

1. A TOOL FOR MANUALLY STRAPPING A WIRE AROUND A TERMINAL COMPRISING: A SHANK HAVING TWO ENDS AND A PASSAGEWAY THROUGH WHICH SAID WIRE CAN PASS, ONE OF SAID ENDS HAVING AN INTERNAL THREAD PORTION AND THE OTHER END THEREOF HAVING AN EXTERNAL THREAD PORTION; A CAP WITH AN APERTURE THROUGH WHICH THE WIRE ENTERS THE TOOL AND AN INTERNAL THREAD PORTION WHICH ENGAGES SAID EXTERNAL THREAD PORTION THEREBY CONNECTING SAID CAP TO SAID SHANK PORTION; AN END PIECE HAVING AN APERTURE ALIGNED WITH SAID PASSAGEWAY AND AN EXTERNAL THREAD PORTION ENGAGING SAID INTERNAL THREAD PORTION OF SAID SHANK THEREBY FIXEDLY CONNECTING SAID END PIECE TO SAID SHANK PORTION; AND A NOSE ROTATABLY CONNECTED TO SAID END PIECE TO FEED THE WIRE AND FOLLOW THE CONTOUR SURFACE OF THE TERMINAL IN RESPONSE TO THE CIRCULAR MOVEMENT OF SAID SHANK, SAID NOSE HAVING A PASSAGEWAY ALIGNED WITH THE PASSAGEWAY OF SAID SHANK PORTION AND TWO ENDS, ONE OF SAID ENDS EXTENDING WITHIN THE APERTURE OF SAID END PIECE AND THE OTHER END THEREOF BEING CURVED AND PROJECTING AT AN ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID SHANK TO FEED THE WIRE PARALLEL AND ADJACENT TO THE CONTOUR SURFACE OF THE TERMINAL AND THEREBY AVOID THE INTRODUCTION OF COLD WORKING OF THE WIRE. 